But I digress. Let me get down to business and give some final thoughts on the race, a little analysis, and some possible future plans...
Reflections:
- Overall +(positive) I improved in every single aspect of the race despite the conditions! Somehow my swim improved 10 minutes, my bike improved 6 minutes, and my run improved 2 minutes. I even improved my transition time by about 4 minutes total... It's hard to be disappointed with any of that!
- Overall -(negative) It was a hard day. The rain slowed things down and elevated stress levels early on. It also distracted me from my race plan. I need to be able to stick to my race plan (especially nutrition!) no matter what the weather brings. I wish I had done a better job staying focused.
- Swim +(positive) I felt strong in the water and found a "cheat" to the dreaded swim. I didn't do a single set of more than 3200yards all year, BUT I swam more frequently. I had a feel for the water that I had never experienced before and a confidence that I can only attribute to being a seasoned triathlete.
- Swim -(negative) Of the top 25 athletes in my age group, only 5 were slower than me. Yes, I improved, but there's still work to be done as I'll age up into a more competitive AG next year. Every minute counts.
- Bike + I had the second fastest bike split in my AG! All the hill work around my new school definitely helped me to feel strong on the hills. The Rudy Project aero helmet upgrade as well as the carbon bike upgrade definitely helped a bit too. I rode my way through a lot of people on both loops and didn't get blown by by many at all... I'm becoming a cyclist and I like it.
- Bike - despite having the second fastest time in my AG, I was still 22 minutes off the AG winner's bike split (yes, he rode a blazing 5:05!!). In the 30-34 AG, which I'll be in next year, my 5:27 split would have only been the 10th fastest... There's work to be done there.
- Run + again an improvement! And I maintained a pretty even pace despite really being in pain. I hurt from mile 2 on and managed to keep ticking off the miles. It was the deepest I've had to dig maybe ever. I'm quite proud of that effort. I had the 6th best run split in my AG.
- Run - I had the 6th best run and I was in so much pain. I know I can get closer to 3:10... And I know I'll have to in order to stay competitive. The bike plays a big part in the run, and I think I was in run shape to run better, but nutrition on the bike might have hurt me. It's a long day though, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what hurt me.
- Kona +/- it's hard to believe that I passed on a Kona slot. But I made the right decision for me this year. I want to go to the Big Island, but it wasn't the time. It makes me a little nervous to think about what will happen if I never get another slot, but I'm also confident that I will. Aging up means the competition gets deeper and faster. Only the top 2 in my AG went sub 10hrs this year. The top 9 went sub 10 in the age group I'll join next year, so there is work to be done if I'm serious about getting to Kona anytime in the near future. And I am.
Plans moving forward:
- There's no way I'm doing another IM in 2015. Like I said, it's too stressful for me. I enjoy the freedom of life without the pressure of IM training.
- I am going to focus on some speed for 2015. I'd like to pop a good olympic distance race. Maybe I'll try to do a fast 70.3... I'm not sure yet. I don't have very respectable PR's at either distance, though.
- There are some 5k race series' that run in the fall and early spring that I might jump into. I would really like to dip under 17 in a 5k too.
- I'm going to try to keep biking as much as possible through the fall and winter. I've got 3 great bikes and being a cyclist is not only fun, but really beneficial in triathlon racing. I have never done a speed focused block on the bike, so maybe I'll have the motivation and strength to put myself through one this winter. A new bike trainer would be a pretty great xmas gift this year...
- I'll continue swimming at lunch to try and hold onto that feel for the water. No long sets, just frequency. I'd love to see some more gains next year...
- An Ironman in 2016 isn't out of the question. It will either be 2016 or 2017 when I do my next one and I am going to make damn sure I can take the slot. The only question will be which IM to target...lots of good options out there, but I'll want to do one that has a lot of slots and probably one that is in the continental US. Lake Placid is an obvious front runner, but it will only have 50 slots moving forward. IMMT in Quebec has 75 slots this year, so if it holds that many it might be in the running too. IM Maryland would be awesome because it's so close and at at great time of year, but they only offer 30 slots as of now... I have time, but the wheels are already turning.
That's about all I have for now... I'm enjoying life for the rest of the summer. Two good friends from work are racing IMMT this week, so I can't wait to see how they do. One of them will be a first time Ironman. He's about ready to jump out of his skin he's so excited...
I'll check in periodically. Thanks for reading!
New pictures were added to the race report below if you feel like seeing what the day looked like.
